Brotherly Love (Not)
by THGFAN101
Summary: Atticus had enough of Jake and Amy's relationship. He found it revolting and believed that Amy deserved someone better. What he doesn't know is that his plan to break their relationship, would break him. For Gone's Unusual: Crack!Pairing Fic contest. (Amy/Atticus)


_A/N I just wanted to say that I am NOT a fan of this pairing. :D_

_This story is dedicated to my good friend Gone. Happy Belated Birthday, Gone! I hope you had a fantastic day! :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the 39 Clues or any of the characters. Warning: Day of Doom spoilers._

_Enjoy this Crack!Pairing fic! :D_

* * *

**~*~Brotherly Love (Not)~*~**

* * *

_"There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother." Terri Guillemets_

* * *

For the millionth time in his life, Dan Cahill was confused.

He should be getting used to the surprises that happened every single day –after all he's a Cahill.

But this event was clearly the unexpected.

He had no idea what happened during the last few days. He had no knowledge of what caused this devastating event. He doesn't _even_ know what happened to the poor boy.

_Everything happened so fast. One minute he was perfectly fine, now he's all depressed, _he thought.

It was a gloomy and depressing summer day. The sky was gray and cloudless, the weather was windy, and the graveyard was completely empty.

Dan, his sister, and his best friend Atticus stayed at the graveyard long after the service has ended. The service had been an extremely long and crowded one. Many relatives and friends of the Rosenbloom have come to the funeral. It was heartbreaking to see how many people were grieving over the loss of the young man. A young man who has died at an early age was unable to fulfill his lifelong dreams because of a horrific accident.

What irritated Dan was that he had no idea how and why this happened.

The graveyard gave him an unpleasant feeling. Normally he would be excited to make a rubbing of the tombstone, but today his heart wasn't in it. All he wanted to know was the truth.

Dan and Atticus stood underneath the large maple tree a few feet away from the tombstone. They could see Amy by the tombstone grieving. She was on her knees and there were white roses in her hands. The wind blowing her hair but she remained motionless. She was as still as a statue.

Dan was concerned over his sister's health. She witnessed too many deaths and dealt with so many problems. Amy was _only _sixteen. She didn't deserve the weight of the world on her shoulders.

If Amy's condition was bad –Atticus's was much worse.

Atticus was a nervous wreck. His hair was untamed, his clothes were wrinkled, and there were bags under his eyes as though he hasn't slept in days. He hadn't spoken at all since the day of the incident. He refused to accept the fact that the young man was _gone. _

Dan couldn't stand seeing his best friend so…depressed. It was as though all the happiness was sucked out of him and he was replaced with a complete stranger. Atticus was no longer the same eleven year old Dan used to know.

He changed.

All of a sudden he noticed Atticus down on his knees. He covered his face with his hands and Dan heard a stifled cry escape from him.

Dan was startled. This was the first time he has seen him cry. Atticus has been emotionless the entire time. At least now Dan could tell that the real Atticus was still in there.

Recovering from his shock, Dan knelt down and placed an arm over his shoulder. He wasn't sure how to comfort his friend but he stayed in that position until Atticus stopped crying.

"Att? What happened? What aren't you telling me?" Dan asked him.

"It's a long story Dan," Atticus replied, wiping his tears with his sleeve.

"You might as well tell me because I don't think we're leaving any time soon," he said looking over at Amy. She was still in front of the tomb –motionless.

Atticus didn't respond. Dan suspected that Amy was involved in this situation. She hasn't spoken at all about just like Atticus. It was also surprising that Amy hadn't comforted Atticus at all.

"Sometimes talking about it will help you feel better," Dan said, breaking the silence. "You don't have to tell me now if you aren't ready."

"I-I'll tell you," Atticus said, his voice shaking. "You deserve to know."

* * *

Atticus Rosenbloom had enough.

He couldn't stand all the lovey-dovey stuff that's happening between his brother and Amy. It was outrageous and repugnant of them.

Atticus found them always acting like uncivilized people. It was just _embarrassing _being next to them in public. The constant flirting, make-out sessions, and the way they look at each other were nauseating.

He was astonished how he never noticed or cared about this before. Jake has dated many girls in the past, but Atticus never complained. He was happy for his brother. He was secretly glad because when Jake is with his girlfriend, he was too preoccupied to be overprotecting of Atticus.

Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same thing about Jake now with his current girlfriend.

The problem was that Amy's unique. She was unlike any other girl he has met in the past. She was special.

With her long reddish-brown hair and jade green eyes, she was absolutely stunning. And what made her more unique was that fact that she was kind and considerate. She loved to help others and had a brilliant mind. It was rare to see a girl like that.

She didn't deserve to be in a relationship with Jake. She deserved to be with someone better.

Atticus was spying on Jake and Amy. He was outside looking through the window at the young couple in the guest house. They were sitting on the couch watching the movie, _Titanic._

The reason why he was spying on them was because he had nothing else to do. He was taking a break from playing Super Mario Kart with Dan and needed some fresh air. Also, he had to make sure that Amy was okay and wasn't going to fall into Jake's trap.

There has been countless of times when Jake broke a girl's heart for the most ridiculous reasons. Atticus knew that his brother wasn't a trustworthy or serious person when it came to relationships. He could get over a girl and like someone new in a heartbeat. Atticus didn't want Amy to suffer since he was his best friend's sister.

There was something about her that made him glad he knew her. There was something special about her that made him so concerned over her feelings.

Atticus wasn't the type of guy who cared about girls. He preferred studying and having fun with his best friends than girls –unlike his brother who could attract girls like a magnet. But for some reason it was _her _who changed the way he viewed girls. He no longer viewed them as a waste of time.

He dismissed the thought of him possibly having an attachment to his brother's girlfriend. It was an unrealistic and absurd thought. The last thing that would happen to him is having a _crush _on someone. He was just concerned because he was Dan's sister that's all.

_I must break them apart. I don't want her to deal with heartbreak; she already lost her old boyfriend, _he thought to himself.

He got up from his spot and ran back to the mansion.

* * *

Amy Cahill couldn't hold her tears in any longer.

She wasn't crying because of the movie. She was crying because the movie reminded her of _him._ It reminded her of the movie nights she spent with her old boyfriend, Evan Tolliver.

She knew she shouldn't be spending her time thinking of Evan, but it was hard _not _to. All Amy felt was guilt –guilt for cheating on Evan.

Why didn't she tell Evan the truth about her and Jake? Why didn't she tell him about the kiss that happened? Maybe if she said something, he wouldn't have risked his life for her. He might have actually been alive.

It was her fault he was dead. It was her fault she broke up with him before he died. She wasn't honest with him and didn't take care of him. She shouldn't have let him risked his life out there trying to stop the Vespers.

She should have never let him know about the Cahills.

Amy wasn't sure if she really loved Jake. Lately, she's been having second thoughts about him. There was nothing wrong with him. The only problem of being with him is that he reminded her of what she did to the poor boy. It reminded her of how she turned into the girls at her school –a cheater.

After a few minutes, Jake walked in from the kitchen in the guest room carrying two coke cans. He set them on the table and sat next to her. He then noticed the tears on her face.

"What's the matter Ames? Is it because of the movie? We could change it if you like," Jake asked, looking concerned.

Amy was about to lie and say that was it, but then she felt a pang of guilt. She shouldn't lie to Jake. The last time she hid secrets from her boyfriend, it caused a lot of trouble for her. She knew that she should be honest and straightforward with him.

"No, no, it's okay," she said. "It's not the movie. It's Evan; I can't stop thinking about him."

Jake sighed and paused the movie with the remote. He looked at her, his eyes filled with concern and sympathy.

"I know it's hard," he told her. "I've lost both my mom and my step mom, Astrid. It takes a while to accept the fact that they're gone. Don't worry, it's normal and I know you'll get through this."

"B-but I feel guilty," she said, leaning against him. "It's _my _fault he died. I don't deserve what he did for me. He shouldn't have risked his life for me."

"Don't say that, you _are _worth it. Your amazing Ames, don't dwell on the past. It won't do you any good," he replied. "I'm positive you'll get over it soon. You are a strong person."

There were no longer any tears in her eyes. She wiped her face with a tissue and sighed. She did feel a little better, but the guilt won't go away. Deep down, she knew that it was her fault and she had to accept the fact that he's gone.

_I must learn from my mistakes, _she thought to herself. _Moping around all day won't do me any good. _

"I hope I do get over it," she mumbled to herself.

"Stay positive, Ames," he said.

He placed one hand on her cheek, and brought her face closer to his. He slowly kissed her.

Amy felt butterflies in her stomach as she kissed back. Kissing him made her feel lighter, she felt like all her troubles went away.

She immediately pulled away. She didn't want to have Jake as a distraction from her problems. It would be unfair of her to act like, _especially _after what Evan did for her.

However, she didn't think it fair for Jake to be treated differently because of _her_ problems.

Jake looked at her, wondering what was wrong. Before he had a chance to say something, she pressed her mouth against his.

"Ah! My eyes!" they heard someone yell.

They broke apart and noticed Dan standing at the doorway of the guest house. She had no doubt that her face was as red as a tomato.

"Honestly, couldn't you guys do that on a different planet?" Dan asked. "I'm scarred for life."

"Don't you have anything better to then sneaking up on people?" she asked him.

"I was looking for Atticus, have you guys seen him?"

"No," Jake answered. "I thought he was with you."

"He was until he decided to take a little break from video games," Dan said. "Wow, you guys are actually watching _Titanic_? Could you guys get any lamer?"

"Dan, please go," she told him.

"Fine, fine," he said. "It's not like I wanted to be here."

Amy looked at Jake and wondered if it was possible she could get over Evan. She wondered if the guilt that has haunted her since the day he died will ever leave her.

_Of course not, _she thought._ Nothing is easy when you're a Cahill._

"Shall we continue the movie," Jake said in a funny accent.

Amy couldn't help but laugh, "Yes, let's continue watching it."

* * *

_Where is he? _Atticus thought.

He came to the living room expecting to find Dan still playing on the Wii. Just as he was about to search for him somewhere else, Dan walked right into the room.

"Where were you?" Dan asked him.

"I was just walking around," he replied.

"You want to continue playing?" Dan asked. "Or are you afraid that I'll beat you?"

"I doubt it," he said, grinning. "But first, I need your assistance. Are you willing to help me?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Let's talk somewhere safe," he suggested.

"Uh, sure?" Dan replied, surprised. He followed Atticus out of the living room and towards his room. Once they got to the room, Atticus closed the door behind him.

"So, what's up?" Dan asked, sitting on his bed. He took out a bag of Doritos from his drawer and offered Atticus.

"No thank you," he said. "You know how it's annoying the way Jake and Amy are spending so much time together?"

"Tell me about it," Dan said. "I went into the guest room looking for you and I was scarred for life when I saw them. Plus, they were watching _Titanic. _Our siblings are aliens."

"Yep, they're definitely extraterrestrials. So I was thinking that we should pull some pranks on them. You know, for fun," he suggested. "Maybe they'll stop being all romantic with each other."

Dan dropped his bag of Doritos on the floor, "Att, you're a genius! I have the perfect plan!"

* * *

_Step 1: Talk about Jake's worst qualities._

Atticus knocked on the door of Amy's room.

His hands were shaking as he waited anxiously for the door to open. He was starting to have second thoughts about the plan. There was always a possibility of the plan backfiring.

_Why am I even doing this in the first place?_

He could be spending his summer having fun with Dan instead of this. He could spend time in front of the TV all day instead of making sure a certain girl doesn't heartbroken.

Why was he doing this? Was he doing in for Dan? Or was he doing it for Amy?

_I guess I'm doing this because I really do care about her, _he thought to himself.

He snapped out of his thoughts once Amy opened the door.

"Atticus?" she asked, surprised. Atticus realized that this was the first time he actually spoke to Amy _privately_.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure, of course," she said.

He walked inside and looked around the room. It was the first time he saw her room. Compared to Dan's room, this room looked like the rest of the house, clean and organized. The walls were painted a jade-green color and the walls were covered with posters with quotes from famous historians. He noticed a large bookshelf in the corner of the room filled with a plethora of book.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Yes, everything is fine," he replied. "I just wanted to tell you something imperative."

"What's the important news?" she asked.

"I would like to tell you some things you need to know about my brother. The most important thing to know is that my brother has dated many girls in the past."

"I already know that," she said. "He told me."

"But did he tell you why he broke up with them?" he asked her.

"I never asked him," she said. "It's none of my business."

"I understand why you feel that way but, I think you should know."

He paused and looked at her expression. Her eyes were wide as though she wanted to know more. But based on her uncomfortable look, it seemed like she didn't want to know the truth behind her boyfriend.

"My brother breaks up with a girl once he finds someone new," he continued. "He won't stick around with one girl for a long period of time. He moves on very fast and many girls are left heartbroken."

"He must have a good reason to leave them," she replied. "I'm sure he didn't intend on breaking their hearts."

"Believe me; he never had a good reason. His reasons are always ridiculous. A few years ago, he dated a girl and then broke up with her in public! He used her to win money from a bet! I don't really think my brother is mature enough to handle a relationship."

She didn't respond.

"I know you didn't want to hear this, but you should believe this since its coming from someone very close to him. These are only _some_ of his flaws. Jake can be very rude at times. I'm only telling you this so you wouldn't have to be his next victim. I care about your feelings and I don't want you to hate us because of something my brother did."

They stood there in silence. Atticus wasn't sure whether to continue but he was sure she got the message. He hoped that she wouldn't be stubborn and refuse to believe what he said because of her feelings towards Jake.

"Thank you for telling me that, Atticus," Amy replied after a while. "But, I'm sure he changed. I'm not going to judge a person based on what they did in the past. That's unfair of me to do."

He sighed. Amy didn't seem convinced that Jake wasn't the best guy for her.

He walked towards the door and opened it. Just as he was about to leave he told her, "I only wanted to warn you in advance."

* * *

_Step 2: Expose their secrets._

"Did it work?" Dan asked him.

Atticus and Dan were sitting in the dining room during breakfast. Dan was eating a large stack of pancakes while Atticus was eating some cereal. Their siblings were still asleep so they had the chance to discuss their plans.

Atticus shook his head, "I doubt she believed a word I said. She was like, 'I'm not going to judge him because of the past'. Did it work on Jake?"

Dan gave a laugh, "He kicked me out as soon as I started to talk about Amy's childhood."

"So, now what do we do?" he asked.

"We expose their secrets," Dan replied. He took out a green notebook that had the word diary imprinted on it in gold letters. "I'll sneak Amy's diary into Jake's room, leaving it open on the most embarrassing story. He'll definitely be interested in reading what his girlfriend has to say about him."

"Cool," Atticus replied.

"Does Jake, by any chance, have a diary?" Dan asked. Atticus shook his head. "Well, then try to find an embarrassing picture or something."

"I think I know what I could do," he said.

Atticus left the dining room and went straight to the room he was staying at. He opened up his MacBook and looked through some files. He saw a PowerPoint labeled: Jake. He clicked on it and bittersweet memories flashed through his mind.

When his mother was alive, he would always make crafts with her. They would take their favourite pictures of the family and make an electronic scrapbook. Together, they made a scrapbook for everyone in the family. Although it wasn't a difficult or rigorous activity he usually liked to do, he still enjoyed spending time with his mother.

He blinked back a few tears. He knew that now wasn't the time to be grieved over his mother. He had to stop Jake and Amy's relationship.

He saved Jake's electronic scrapbook on a flash drive. All he had to do now was save the file on Amy's laptop.

* * *

Amy Cahill walked into her room and sat on her bed. She opened up her laptop so she could read her emails.

The first thing she saw in the middle of the screen was a PowerPoint presentation labeled: _Jake. _She was astonished. Someone snuck on her laptop and placed this file on here.

_It's probably a prank from Dan, _she thought to herself.

However, it could possibly be from Jake. Maybe for once, this wasn't a prank being pulled by her obnoxious brother. Being naturally curious, she clicked on the file and watched the PowerPoint presentation.

Amy grinned when she saw the pictures. Each picture was more amusing than the previous. There were a plethora of pictures from Jake's childhood with funny comments written next to each one. One of the most hilarious pictures she found was when Jake was five; he was dressed up as a rubber duck for Halloween and was pouting.

After looking through all these pictures, she decided to tell Jake what she thought of them. She also wanted to know why she had these pictures in the first place.

She grabbed her laptop, left her room, and walked towards the room Jake was staying at. She found the door slightly opened so she walked in.

She turned her laptop so it would be facing Jake and said, "Hey, did you place this-"

She stopped talking once she found Jake reading something.

He was reading her diary.

Amy placed her laptop on his bed and snatched the book out of his hands. She couldn't believe this! How did he get her diary? And, why was he reading it?

"What were you doing with that?" she said, her voice in a deadly tone.

Before Jake spoke, he noticed what was on the screen of her laptop. His face turned a slight shade of pink. "Why do you have that on your screen?"

"Don't change the topic," she replied, avoiding his question. "Why were you reading _my diary_? You have no right to!"

"I –I just found it lying on my bed opened!" he exclaimed. "I wanted to make sure who it was so-"

"So instead of looking at the cover, you read _it_! I can't believe you!"

"Why didn't you ever tell me how you felt about Ian?" he asked.

"That was the past! Besides, it's none of your business," she replied. "You should have returned it back to me as soon as possible."

"Well, I'm sorry!" Jake said. "You still haven't answered my question. What are you doing with that file?"

"I found them on my laptop! I thought you placed it there," she said, defensively. "I don't find it a big deal, it's not as personal as reading someone's diary." She picked up her laptop and walked right out of the room.

Hot tears were streaming down her cheek. She couldn't believe it. Her own _boyfriend _would read her diary. He would read the one place where she was true to herself.

_Maybe Atticus was right, _she thought.

* * *

Atticus was on his laptop reading an article when Jake stormed into the room.

Atticus looked up from the screen. He could detect the anger in his eyes.

"What are you hiding?" Jake demanded.

"What are you taking about?" he replied.

"Don't pretend you don't know," Jake said. "Where else did Amy get the electronic scrapbook from? What I don't understand is, why would you do it? You know that I have some embarrassing pictures on there."

"Because, Amy had to see the real you," he replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Jake said. "Are you trying to break us apart? Is that it? I can tell that you don't like our relationship, but I have no idea why. What is the matter with you? We're you part of the diary fiasco?"

"Nope," he lied. "I have no idea what you're talking about. If you'll excuse me, I'm reading some news from NASA. They've discovered some news about a new planet and-"

"I really don't care," Jake interrupted. "All I want is no more interference between us. Got it? I'll be keeping a close eye on you." With that, he left the room.

Atticus smiled. Their plan worked. Amy and Jake are definitely mad at each other.

_But, it still isn't enough._

He heard a knock on his door. He got up and opened the door. He found Dan standing right there.

"So, did Jake find out?" he asked.

"Yup," Atticus replied. "But, they still don't know if it's you. The good news is that there's definitely some tension going between them."

"Operation: Romance Destroyer is making some tremendous progress," he said. "Come on, we must go. Fiske is calling us."

"For what?"

"I have no idea," he admitted. "We should go; we don't want to keep him waiting."

* * *

Atticus was in the living room with Amy.

Fiske had called Dan, Atticus, Amy and Jake for an imperative task to do. He wanted them to work in pairs and file some documents into the appropriate categories. Fiske had many documents pertaining to each of the five branches. Jake immediately requested to work with Dan which left him with Amy.

Atticus was glad that their plan was working. But, he was secretly glad that he got to work with Amy –alone. He didn't have anyone around that could potentially distract Amy. He knew that now was the time to persuade her.

They sat on the couch, silently looking through the documents and sorting them into each branch. All the Lucian-related documents were placed in the red bin, Ekat-related files in the orange bin, and etc.

Atticus couldn't stand the awkward silence that was happening between them. Although he wasn't a talkative person, he didn't like how they weren't engaged in an interesting conversation.

For the first time in his life, he was nervous about starting the conversation. For some reason, his heart would beat rapidly every time he thought about possible ways of starting. Her presence made him feel very nervous. He was worried that whatever he would say could potentially ruin everything. He had to find a way to persuade her, without causing any problems.

He looked at Amy countless of times trying to catch her attention, but she seemed like she was in her own world. Her eyes were red as though she has been recently crying. Her movements were quick as though she wanted to get this over with.

He couldn't take it anymore; he had to know what happened. What if Jake had already hurt her? He hoped that he wasn't too late.

"Amy," he said, softly. She looked up from reading an article and he continued, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine," she said, forcing a smile on her face.

Atticus didn't buy it.

"Did Jake do anything?" He regretted asking once he saw her expression.

"No, he didn't," she said sternly. "Are you still trying to say that your brother isn't a good person? I would have never expected that from you."

"Not at all," he replied. "I'm just saying that he's not ready for an actual relationship. Like I told you before, he has dated many girls and doesn't understand that he hurts them when he breaks up with them."

"Did Dan have anything to do with the diary incident?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he lied. "What happened?"

"It's…nothing," she said.

He suddenly felt annoyed. Why couldn't she just open up? Why was she so secretive? How was he supposed to show that he wanted to help her, if she's acting thing this way?

He wanted to give up. He knew it was hopeless of trying to change her mind about Jake. She was too stubborn to listen to what he had to say.

_Why do I care so much? _He wondered. _Why do I care about her so much? Why do I feel nervous around her?_

Whatever the reason was, he knew that he couldn't give in. He had to keep trying to prevent any heartbreak from happening.

He hadn't realized he was staring at her until he noticed her jade-eyes watching him in confusion.

"What?" she asked him. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," he replied, returning back to sorting.

Twenty minutes later, they finished sorting everything. Amy was about to get up from the couch when he grabbed her hand.

"Sit," he ordered. Startled, Amy did as she was told and freed her hand. He didn't mean for it to sound like a command, but he knew that he had to get her to listen.

"I understand that you care so much about Jake, and that he cares a lot about you," he started. At first, he was hesitant to continue. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to say what he had in mind, but he decided that he had to say it. _It might actually bring some sense into her._

"But, Jake isn't the only one," he continued. "I…care about you. I don't want you to get heartbroken because of my brother. This isn't because of my friendship with Dan, it's because of you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

He was surprised that he actually confessed. He told her the last part without meaning to, the words has slipped out of his mouth.

Amy was taken back. He could sense that she was confused and startled by what he said. "Atticus, that's sweet and all, but I'm fine. Don't worry about Jake. Your brother is a good person, I'm sure he won't do anything to harm me. He understands me well."

"Does he understand how you're really feeling about Evan?" he asked.

Just like he expected, she didn't respond. Instead, she got up and walked towards the door. He immediately felt guilty. He shouldn't have brought up Evan; it was a very sensitive topic for her. However, he still couldn't believe how she didn't understand how he felt about her. She was still not taking him seriously.

He got up and quickly walked after her. He caught up to her in the hallway and grabbed her hand. He felt like he had some butterflies in his stomach, but dismissed the feelings. Now wasn't the time to feel nervous.

She turned around and said, "Atticus, please leave me alone."

"Amy, I lik-"

Just then, Jake walked out of the room and saw them. His eyes were wide when he saw them. Atticus immediately let go of her hand.

"What are you two doing?" Jake asked, in a deadly whisper.

No response came from either one of them.

Jake turned to Atticus and said, "I thought I told you to stop interfering. And, why on earth were you holding her hand?"

"I was just telling her…" his voice trailed off. He didn't know whether or not to tell his brother the truth.

Jake caught on immediately. "Now I know what's going on, your jealous aren't you? Just because I'm not spending as much time as I used to with you, there's no reason to make Amy hate me!"

"I'm not jealous of you," he blurted. "You aren't good enough for her." He wanted to slap himself; he didn't mean to say that out loud.

"I'll just go," Amy said, leaving the two siblings alone.

"Don't tell me you have a crush on her," Jake said. Atticus was going to reply when he said, "Don't bother denying it. I was suspecting it ever since I heard you muttering in your sleep. You think that I'm not good enough for her? You think you could do better? Honestly, you're eleven and she's sixteen! Why would you ever think of my girlfriend in that wa-"

"Ok, so what if I do care about her?" Atticus said, no longer caring about what his brother felt. "I don't want her to be heartbroken because of you! You don't really care about her! You can't see how she's feeling right now! She's already heartbroken because of the death of Evan; she doesn't need you to make her feel worse! Has she ever confided to you how she's feeling?"

"Actually, she did confide in me," Jake replied. "This is none of your business, Atticus! Instead of meddling into other people's lives, you should hang out with your friend."

"If you really were good for her, you wouldn't have read her diary."

Jake's eyes widened at this remark. "I knew you had something to do with this! Meddling isn't going to help you at all."

"You don't get it, do you?" Atticus said, his voice rising. "Amy doesn't need _you. _She would be better off alone, than having someone who's reminding her of the guy she can't have."

"As if you know what's best for her," Jake scoffed.

"I think I know how to treat her, better than you can," he replied.

Jake simply stared at him, no longer sure if this was really his brother. Atticus kept his gaze on him, refusing to let him win.

"You know what? I'll deal with you later," Jake said. "I have to go get something from the store. After I get things sorted out with Amy, you and I will have a long talk."

Jake walked down the hallway, leaving Atticus. Before he opened the door that led outside, he yelled back, "I can't believe my own brother would have his first crush on _my _girl."

* * *

"What happened next?" Dan asked.

Atticus took a deep breath. He didn't want to tell him what happened next, but he knew that he had to. It was vital for him to know what had happened.

Fresh, hot tears slid down his face. It was _his _fault. _He _was the reason for Jake's death.

"Well, after he left, he never came back," Atticus replied. "He was so distracted that he got himself into a car accident. It's _my _fault that Jake is no longer here."

He should have never even bothered to try and break them apart. It brought nothing but harm. It brought nothing but an excruciating pain and guilt that had been haunting him since the day he died. He should have never placed his feelings for her over his brother.

His brother, Jake, should've been the most important thing to him. He should've been more concerned about his feelings rather than of the feelings of a girl he barely knew.

Atticus never realized how much Jake meant to him until he was gone. Jake has always been there to protect him. He was always there for him when most needed. Jake helped him cope with the death of his mother. There was never a time when they actually fought like the night of his death. They had always gotten along quite well.

And this was how he repaid him. Atticus couldn't believe how selfish he was, causing all this unnecessary drama for something that might have not happened. Maybe his brother really did care about Amy. Maybe he has changed and wasn't planning on breaking her heart for a ridiculous reason.

It was too late now; there was nothing he could do to make himself feel better. There was nothing he could do to fix this problem.

"I'm sorry Dan," he said. "I'm sorry for causing a problem for your sister."

"Don't worry about it," Dan said. "I know you didn't mean for this to happen. Not trying to make you feel bad, but I don't get this. How could so many guys fall for my nerdy sister? I really don't see what's so special about her. Sure, she's awesome, but she's just…Amy."

"I don't know," he said. He was miserable. He wished that he could go back in time and prevented any of this from happening.

"I think you might feel better if you apologized to her," Dan suggested. "Believe me; she won't hold this grudge against you. It wasn't really your fault. Your brother was overreacting."

Atticus sighed. He knew that Dan was right, he should apologize to her. It was the least he could do.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

_I'm sorry if any of the characters seemed OOC._

_What do you think was the moral of this story?_

_Review and/or constructive criticism are always welcomed! :)_


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